Oh, I DO like...........

.........to be beside the seaside - so when we got our first day off for three weeks, we got up early, and drove to Whitby for the day. What better way to revive the spirit than to have a paddle and some lunch in the Magpie?

The sculpture of the sails told us we were in seafaring mode, and we felt the excitement rise.

AHAAARRRR! Avast there, Jim lad - get up into that crows nest and keep a look-out!

The harbour and bridge - quiet today. The boats on the harbour-side were finding it very quiet too, business wise. One guy said he'd had only two customers in the last two hours.

This guy tried to charge me for this pose!

Things really WERE bad.

He decided to go and try somewhere else when I wouldn't pay.

The abbey looked down on Whitby, just as it had since 657AD.

We were ready for some lunch, and this was where we always headed - the famous Magpie cafe. There have been quite a few changes recently. Some we like (like the re-arranged seating and the electronic order pads for the waitresses), some we HATE (like the digital screen that has replaced the blackboard). We had a fish medley each (£19:95), tea for two, two garlic buns, a glass (small) of rose each, and shared a meringue, banana and butterscotch desert - a few pence short of sixty quid - not cheap for lunch, but everything was perfect, (and we felt we deserved a treat)

The very, very old - a steam-powered lorry (see end of posting for video).

The very LATEST technology - fly your own radio-controlled seagull - only twenty pence a go!

Looking across to the beach where Dracula's coffin is reputed to have landed. Ironic that it is JUST below the abbey.

The North shore looked really inviting. It was a shame the tide was so high, as it meant we had to begin our walk North on the top of the cliffs, then drop onto the beach after a mile or so.

First, though, a walk along the pier. Looking over the wall, we saw this little head pop up - it gave Sue quite a start!

The the little creature revealed itself - a young oyster catcher, by the looks of it.

Then, to our HORROR, we saw this GIANT seagull pecking at the abbey!

The 'Bark Endevour' went out to sea - with just TWO passengers on board.

I reckon I could get it with a good shot from here..........

There's always one, isn't there?

The beach huts were all empty now, standing in the afternoon sun.

A little action in the waves made it so much more interesting.

One of our favourite 'relaxing' walks - along the prom towards Sandsend.

This strange 'edge' of sand was on the beach. A local we asked said it had appeared only in the last week. The sea and tides were gradually wearing it away, until it would, once again, become part of the seabed.

The continuing erosion of the cliffs was, sadly, much in evidence. They don't look like they can stand much more, do they?

We didn't quite make it to sandsend, as we were running out of time, but we LOVED what we'd had - time to turn around and make for home.

Short video of the steam lorry.